The disclosures and claimed inventions of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,913,327; 5,003,780; 5,133,349; 5,182,911; 5,261,235; and 5,348,040 provide the background for the invention disclosed and claimed herein.
Broadly, the invention disclosed herein is directed to the following species or variations of fluidic valve assemblies having improved valve mechanisms.
A fluidic valve assembly having the improved valve mechanism CE which is an improvement on the fluidic valve mechanisms of the above-identified U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,003,780 and 5,348,040. This improved fluidic valve assembly with the improved valve mechanism CE is termed a mechanism having a cam-eared blade, the blade being another name for the valve member positioning device which plays a major part in the positioning the valve member of the assembly or mechanism under various fluid flow conditions. The drawings and description of the valve mechanism in U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,040 are particularly pertinent as a predecessor valve mechanism and are therefore incorporated herein by reference.
A fluidic valve assembly having the improved valve mechanism SV is based generally on the fluidic valve mechanism disclosures of the above-identified U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,003,780 and 5,348,040 and the above-noted fluidic valve mechanism CE, as well as any of the other fluidic valve assemblies or mechanisms disclosed herein, having an applied force device which when actuated forcibly opens the fluidic valve of the mechanism for distribution of fluid pressure through the valve. The applied force can be generated by powered devices such as solenoids, differential pressure actuated or electrical power actuated servomotors. The applied force generating devices may be linear or rotary electrically powered devices such as axially or rotary actuating solenoids, servomotors, stepping motors, selsyn motors and the like.
A fluidic valve assembly having the improved valve mechanism TB is based generally on the fluidic valve mechanism disclosures noted above and having a toggle blade which takes advantage of the exponential force that can be generated through the blade toggle arrangement. The toggle blade is a specific fluidic valve member positioning device having a toggle action and construction.
A fluidic valve assembly having the improved valve mechanism FR has a flow rod positioned in axial alignment with a fluid flow passage so as to deliver force to a fluidic valve assembly or mechanism, preferably but not necessarily of the type of fluidic valve assembly having the improved valve mechanism identified as TB above. While not separately shown, it is to be understood that other types of fluidic valve mechanisms may be employed.
The force delivered by the flow rod is timed to coincide to begin actuation of the toggle blade valve positioning device, and as the toggle blade device progresses to opening the fluidic valve and enters its most efficient stage, the flow rod passes through the fluid flow restriction in which the delivered force was created, after which the force is drastically reduced so as to be of no substantial effect on the toggle blade positioning device. The flow rod resets itself upon reverse apply flow through the flow restriction. Typically, the first above-described force delivery occurs when the flow valve is opened to release pressure under return flow, and the resetting of the flow rod occurs upon apply flow of fluid through the fluid flow restriction in the opposite direction from release flow.
Devices such as vehicle brake systems, whether manually or power operated, and whether or not having an ABS brake control system and/or a traction control system incorporated therein, can employ any of these fluidic valve assemblies having any of these improved valve mechanisms. One schematically disclosed example is the combination of one or more of the disclosed fluidic valve assemblies having one or more of the improved valve mechanisms in an ABS brake control system. The SV type fluidic valve mechanism is particularly useful in ABS and traction control systems.